Automatic train-blocking system.



PATENTED APR. so, 1907.

C. B. ROEHL. AUTOMATIC TRAIN BLOCKING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.16.1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED APR. 30, 1907 O. E. ROEHL. 1

AUTOMATIC TRAIN BLOCKING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 16, 1903.

2 SHBETS-SHEET 2.

awurz m koz CHARLES E. ROEHL, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC TRAlN-BLOCKING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 30, 1907.

Application filed December 16,1903. Serial No. 185,397.

To all whom zit may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. RonnL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Train Blocking and Stopping Systems, of which the following is a specification.

The main object of my invention is to provide means for preventing collisions between railway vehicles, and particularly rear-end collisions due to cars or trains following one another too closely, and the invention is applicable to cars or trains operated bysteam, electricity or otherwise, whether such cars or trains are run on the surface, on elevated tructures or in subways; In carrying my invention to effect'l pro vide as the principal fact-or in eliminating, or reducing to a minieither a trolley-wire 0.1 the third-rail.

mum, the danger of such collisions, means when the point is reached past which it will be dangerous for such'car or train to proceed.

This automatic c ontrollingmeans may operate either to shut off the power or to ap ly the brakes or to do both of these things, it )eing preferable to apply the brakes and shut oil the power at substantially the same moment. This automatic action may be entirely independent of any control by the engineer or motorman, or it may be controllable by him to permithim to run his train or car past a danger point when the conditions are such that it will be safe for him to proceed at reduced speed. This automatic controlling action, both for steam trains and for electrically-operated cars or trains, is gov.-

erned electrically, and in the case of electric railways the power required for operating the automatic controlling means and other parts of the system, which will be hereinafter more articularly referred to, is obtained directly rom the working conductor, which may be current in the working circuit maybe utilized not only for the purpose of operating the automatic controlling means, but also for actuating suitable means at the track or on a yehicleor both, for giving warning to such a vehicle of its proximity to a danger point,

andsuch warning may be given in any suitable n'ianner. Preferably both a track signal and a signal on the vehicle will be gov erned by such a danger condition, the signal at the track being ordinarily a visual one,

, such as a semaphore, and that on the vehicle The heing preferably lamp or group of lamps, which may be red lamps to indicate danger.

I regard as one of the most important features of my safety system such a combination of controlling devices as has been just described, all'of which devices are controlledfrom a single source of energy, so that the separate supervision of a separate controlling circuit, which is ordinarily fed w ith current from a separate source of energy, is rendered unnecessary.

My inventionis particularly applicable to electric 'railway's which embo y the thirdrail system, which is chiefly used in lar e cities for surface, elevated and subwaywor where it is necessary to run cars or trains close together and under conditions which increase the danger of rear-end collisions, as compared with the operation of'inter-urban roads. v

One of the objects of my invention is to provide improved and simplified means for operating semaphore or other warning signals on railways, and especially on electric part of the return or power circuit, without at the same time incurring the loss of conductivity of one or both of thetrack' rails as a current-carrying medium by the necessity heretofore existing of dividing or cutting-up the same into insulated block sections or lengths, such as has been the practice, for example, in the case of steam railroads employing electrically operated block-signal systerns.

Another important feature of my invention is the provision in connecti'onwith a block system having danger and cautionary signals for each block, of automatic means controlled by a block-signal for sto ping a car or train should it enter the bloc ed section, the preferred organization of the balance of the system being that in which the danger signal of one block controls the oprailways in which the track rails are used as ing my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged i trolling circuit. therefor, b

"nary working .isa third ra' 4-o-ccupy1ng current'sup s9 diagrammatic view of one type .of electric car, with automatic controlling means thereon embodying my invention. Fig 3 is an similar View of another typev of car similarly equi ped. Fig. 4

modification of my invention. enlarged: detail illustrating in cross-section and'elevation theconstruction of the trackcontacts and conductors and:the' traveling contact-makers on-the vehicle and the -ner 1n which these coact.-

- Snmlar. characters designate-like parts man-' all the figures of the drawings.

,- The system which I have shown in; Fig. l

for convenience of illustration is a third-railsystem having suitable controlling-circuits.-

and devices forcarrying out my invention, although it shouldl'be understood, that. my

invention'may beembodied in other systems utilizingelectric or any other form of energy as. the means for operating the cars or train. 'In-the system shownI have indicated at 2 thelusu'al. track-rails and'at 3-and 8 two vehicles or trainsfollowing each other inthe 'di r'ection indicated bythe arrow.- These trackreds are or may be connected substantially as; in ordinary railway systems and need not be divided into block sections, and the trains may contain any desired number of cars, six being the maximum in ordinary practice in large cities. Alon track'runs theordi: con uctor, which in thislcase a osition close to but outside the track rails. g construction this conductor or third-rail not only serves as the means for sup lying the motive current to the. motors on t e cars .ortrains but also" as the source of current s11 ply for-the variousdevices used to control t e movements of'the vehicles, and particularly to stop the same automatically on reaching} a pre etermined danger point.

Such-a system is usually divided into.sec- 'tions or blocks and protectedby means of block signals, and such is the system shown herein, and hence these block-signals are also controlled in the preferred construction by lied from the working conductor or third-rm Thus it will be seen. that the le and to'the conthat it serves to supply such current both to a traveling cirpower circuit of a ve third-rail not only sugpiis current to the cult on the vehicleand to a fixed circuit at- -the track. In'acldition to this it also servesto operate various translating andcontrolling devices both on the car and at the track, the circuits on the car or tra1n being always her for each b both a motor circuit on the vehicle and a contwo oi more in number and the circuits at the trackbeing usually at leasttwo numock section. That is to say,

trolling circuit governing the stopping of such vehicle are traveling circuits, and at least one is a-diagranmiatic view siml ar to Fig. l, of av system embodying 'a 7 Fig. 5'is ann the preferred e track-contacts or that usedin ordinary third-rail systems may be employed to, supply current from the working conductor or third-rail 4 to the motor. or meters on the'car or train-,and this shoe also preferably constitutes the'traveling 'contact maker'by' means of which the circuits to the block-signals,- are. controlled, although of course .a separate contact-maker or shoe maybe employed. p

One of the principal features which distinguishesthe construction of my improved system from'usual third-rail systems is the pro-.

'erning certain controlling devices employed .in the system. In this case in addition to the third-rail I have shown two other conductors extending along the line of way and preferablyadjacent to the third-rail. his

, vision of track contacts or conductors gov- 'onIynecessarythat ,these conductors -be..-of

sufficient length at each danger point or block to assurethe making of the circuit therethrough when the contact-maker on the vehicle-"comes in: contact therewith, but in Fig. 1 saidf conductors extendalong substantiallythe whole lengthof the line of way andare' only interrupted at the points where they are divided to form [portions of different block circuits. trols the setting of the blocksignals'and'the other controls the operation. of automatic stopping means on the vehicle rnoving'on' the; tracks 2. The first of these conductors and the various block sections thereof will be des loo One of these conductors con--.

ignatedgenerallyby 6, and the other conductor and its various sections will in a similar manner be indicated by 7 Each section 6 in'Fig. 1. extends the full length of a block and so also does each section of the conductor 7. -jThese track-conductors 6' are connected j 1Il circuit with means for-operating one ormore-controlling devices at the track,'such as danger and cautionary signals or semaphores, designated generally 1 by (Z and The onev direction is orm aybegravitypand in .the other direction, is preferably, solenoids such as 10 and 1 the former ofwhich controls the .means shown for operatingthesefsignals in danger signal or semaphore'and is connected by a conductor I2to the 'track contact or conductor 6, and thejotherofwhlch controls the cautionary signal and is connected by a conductor 13 to the trackcontactoiflconduc tor 7 and is in -turn-connec ted,--.as by meansof a conductor 15 with'the'conduetorfifof'the preceding block. .Thus each dangerfsignal is;

controlled directly from the conductor 6 of its own block and each cautionary signal is controlled through the connection 15 with the conductor 6 of the preceding block. This organization of the controlling track-circuits permits the simultaneous operation of the danger signal'of a block on which a car or train is standing or moving and the cautionary signal of a block in the rear of said car or train, thus indicating to an approaching car or train that it may enter the block controlled by the cautionary signal and proceed therein at reduced speed, but maynot enter the block at which .the danger signal is displayed. These circuits just described are completed whenever a shoe bridges the gap between the third-rail 4 and a track-contact or conductor 6, when current will flow from the third-rail through the shoe 5, conductor 6, conductor 12 and solenoid to ground and operate the danger signal, as shown on the second block of Fig. 1, and at the same time current front the third-rail and the track-contact or conductor 6 will follow an- (other branch through conductor 15, trackcontact or conductor 7 of a succeeding block, conductor 13 of such succeeding block, and a solenoid 11 and operate the cautionary signal 0 of suchblock in the rear. When the vehiole 3 leaves the block on which it is moving, the solenoids being deenergized, the danger signal displayed on the block left by the train, and the cautionary signal displayed on the succeeding block, will be restored to their normal positions.

For the purpose of bringing a car or train to a stop wherna danger point is reached, 1 may make use of anysuitable devices on the train, and these may be operated by current taken from the track-contacts or conductors 7. As these conductors 7 are connected respectively with the conductors 6 oi? the preceding sections it will be evident that in the system shown the means for stopping a car or train will also be controlled by circuits governed by the block-signals. The point at which the automatic controlling action takes place is preferably adjacent to the cautionary signal controlled by the same conductor 7 through which current passes to operate the automatic stopping means on the car or train. Thus the cautionary signal is displayed and the automatic stopping of the train is effected one or more blocks in the rear of a danger signal set by a preceding car or train. The automatic stopping means on the car or train is preferably operated by a controlling circuit also carried on such car or train and including a traveling contact- .maker of any suitable type, such as 20, which makes contact with the conductor 7 only. Thus, when the car 3 reaches the point shown in Fig' 1, and its traveling contact-maker comes in contact with a conductor 7 of a circuit the forward gap in which is closed by the shoe 5 on the train 3, it will be seen that a complete circuit may be closed thro h the traveling controlling circuit on the train 3. This traveling controlling circui t is or may be suitably grounded on the train 3,, as is the motor circuit, and the circuits ol. the solenoids for operating the block-signals are also grounded.

In Fig. 2 I have illustrated in detail the manner in which the automatic \1 t pping means on a car is controlled and opriuled. Here the traveling contactmaker ill is nectcd in circuit with a suitable elect operated device such as the soiei'icid erning the movement oi a swileh, such for breaking the motor circuit. in tht the controlling circuit for ti e mi l stopping means from the COHLZMZPIE is by Way of a conductor 27 to a min troller or switch 28, a cimductor manual controller or switch 30 and the sen-u oid to ground. The two S\l'lttilit-3 are normally closed, and hence u system is in the condition shown 5 1 a circuit will be closed from the slim;- c on the car 3 by way of the connections previmisly traced to the contactuuakcr 20 on i he car 3, from which the current will follow the path just described with liTUl't-EIMG to 1. ground. The consequent energize lion ollihe solenoid 25 breaks the circuit ol the automatic switch 26 and thus iuterruphl the meon no,

at opposite sides of the ear. through a conductor 3]., a manual controller or i-uviti'h E32, and conductors 33 and 31, which are separated at the contacts spanned by the 'licli 26, the remainder of the motor circuit not being shown but being that which is well understood in the art. The breaking ol' the motor circuit course shuts ol'l' the power and at the same time the brakes oi the car or train may be applied in any suitable manner.

In Fig. 2 .l have illustrated a ll--l\ii .l)\\'1'l type oi air-brakc apparatus, in which h) in dicates a train-pine and 4-1 a bralw-pipe lL-ELV" ing a brake-valve 42, which is alsn operated by the solenoid 25, both theswilrh 12c and the brake-valve .112 being (,(UHH-(Jltli with the core of the solenoid. Thus, when the solenoid 25 is energized the valve 42 is also operated to release the air pressure or break downthc vacuum, as the case may be, and apply the brakes. It should beiuulcrstood that all of the traveling contact-nmkcrs will be so constructed and connected as to be capable of operation at both sides of the car by which they are carried, and one or more such contact-makers may be used on each side of the car. In this case each car or train has at least two shoes 5 on cur-h side oi the car for making contact with the thirdrail and with the conductor 6, so that there I will be at least four such shoes on each train.

a similar manner thetraveling contactmakers 20 which coact with the conductor-7 also have atleast four points of contact for each train. All of the s oes or contactmakers are suitably connected by con-- ductors 5 and 5", and the contact-makers may also be connectedin a similar manner.

' In addition to providing means for stopping a car or tra n automatically when a'danger point is reached I deem it desirable to provide means for visually indicating on such means of lamps, which ,will be preferably-red lamps, connected in circuit with the contactmakers 20. One such circuit, containing a series of lamps, is indicated atr and is connected from the conductor 27 toground, and another is shown at 1 and is connectedfrom conductor 29 to'gronnd. It'will be noticedthat the lamps in the circuit 50 will be lighted when the dangerpoint is reached, regardless of the positions of'themanual switches on the car in the controllingcircuit of the solenoid 25, whereas the circuit of the lamps 51 may be broken should the motorrnan (le sire to proceed past such a danger point at a reduced speed. This he may accomplish by opening either of-the switches 28 and 30, as will be evident. Y

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated a modification. of the invention, in which the track-contacts which coact with the contact-makers 20110 not extend the entire'length of each block but are short conductor sections or track-- contacts, such as 7; With these track-contacts it will be seen that the traveling contact-makers 20 are in engagement for onlya small portion of the length of a block. In other respects, however, this system is substantially identical with that illustrated in Fig. 1, and the same reference characters for the other parts apply to both.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated in detail one 'mode of supporting and constructing the traveling contact-makers and the contactrails with which they 'coact. In this View the third-rail is surrounded at its points of support by known manner.

suitable insulating material between the under side of'the tread andthe flange oi the rail, this insulation being held in piece by a tie-bolt, such as 60, in a well- .The separate conductors or l track contacts with which the traveling con- 'ferent type of carfrom that shown tact-makers on the vehicle make contact are E here shown as angle-rails 6 and 7, the-former being secured to one corner of the insulating blocki by suitable bolts, such as 61, or in any other desired .manner, while the latter is mounted .in a corresponding manner at the opposite sideof the third-rail'and at the opposite corner of the insulating support. The

upper or contactingsurfaces .of these auxiliary track-rails orstrack-contacts are or may formingbranches of the power circuit be in the same plane as the contact surface of the third-railitself. The shoe 5 which coacts with both the'third-rail and the angular rail or track-contact 6 is here shown as substantially similar in construction to ordi- I nary. third-rail collecting shoes, but is some-. what wider, so as to span both the rail 4 and the rail 6 and bridge the gap between them,

the'sh'oe having lugs, suchas 65, to which may bepivoted the .usual links (not shown) or other, devicesfor connecting it with a car. In a similar mannerthe .contact maker'or shoe 20 may make traveling contact with the upper side of. the angular rail or track-com" tact 7 and has a lug 66 by means of which connection with-the vehicle may be' made in a manner similar tothat just described, these two shoes 5 and 20 being, however, prefer-- ably mounted entirely independent of each. other. g

.In Fig. 3-1 have illustrated a slightly difin the, solenoid and "the circuit: for controlling the same and the circuits of the danger-indi eating lamps on the car being identical with corresponding elements shown in Fig. 2, the only diiierences being in minor features of construction which distinguish the vestinghouse system from the Sprague system.

What I claim. is: T

1. Ina system for controlling the movements of electrically-operated railway vehicles, the combination with the power circuit, of a-track-signal circuit governed by the powercircuit, a controlling circuit on thevehicle governed by said track-signal'circuit, and automatic means governed by said controlling circuit for breaking the power circuit on the vehicle and applying a brake.

2. In a system for controlling the movements of electrically-operated railway vehicles, the combination with the power circuit, of automatic means for stopping the vehicle energized by current derived from the power-circuit, and block-signal circuits for danger and cautionary signals the eircuit of each danger signal controlling the circuit of a succeeding cautionary signal and also controlling the automatic stopping means.

3. In a system for controlling the moyements of electrically-operated railway. vehicles, the combination with the power circuit, of automatic means for stopping the vehicle energized by current derived from the power-circuit,, and blocl'signal circuits for danger and cautionary signals said circuits and the circuit of the danger signal controlling the circuit to a succeeding cautionary signal.

4. In a system for cont-rolling the movements of electrically-operated railway vehicles,- thecombinatmn with the power circuit, of automatic means for stopping the vehicle, and block-signal circuits for danger and cautionary signals said circuits forming branches of the power circuit and the circuit of the danger signal controlling the circuit of a succer-ding cautionary signal and also controlling the automatic stopping means.

5. In a system for controlling the movements of e'lectrically-operaterl railway vehicles, the combination with the'power circuit, of traveling cont: different positions crosswise of the-vehicle, automatic means for stopping the vehicle, and two sets of track-contacts cooperative respectively with said traveling contac t-makers one of the track-contacts controlling a track-Sig nal and the other controlling said automatic stopping means.

6. In a system for controlling the movements of electrically-operated railway vehicles, the combination with the power circuit, of traveling contact-makers located in different positions crosswise of the vehicle,

automatic means for stopping the vehicle,

and two sets of traclccontacts one set for each block cooperative respectively with said traveling contact-makers one of the trackcontacts controlling the traclesignal and a dissimilar track-contact of a block in the rear being connected with said first traclvcontact and controlling said automatic stopping 7. In a system for controlling the movements of electrically-operated railway vehicles, the combination with the power circuit, of traveling contact-makers located in different positions crosswise of the vehicle, automatic means for stopping the vehicle, and two sets of track-contacts one set for each block cooperative respectively with said traveling contact-makers, one of the trackcontacts controlling danger signal on its own block and a cautionary signal on a block in the rear and a dissimilar track-contact of said block in the rear being connected with said first track-contact and controlling said automatic stopping means.

8. In a system for controlling the movements of electrically-operated railway vehicles, the combination with a third-rail, of a signal'conductor adjacent to said third-rail, automatic stopping'means controlled by said signalcon ;luctor, and a traveling contactmaker on the vehicle spanning said third-rail and signal-conductor for supplying current to the motor-circuit and 'to the signal-con- 'ductor.

9. In a system for controlling the movements of electrically-operated railway vehicles, the combination with a third-rail forming a continuous working conductor, of

makers located in H). In a system for controlling the movements of electrically-operated raihvay vehicles, the combination with a third-rail forming a continuous working conductor, of danger and miutionary signals, a track-contact adjacent to the third-rail and connected in block-circuits controlling danger and cantionary signals of diil'ercnt blocks, and a traveling contact-maker on the vehicle and spanning said third-rail and track-contact for supplying current to the motor circuit and to the block-circuits.

11. In a system for controlling the movements of electrically-operated railway vehicles, the combination with a third-rail, of a pair or" track-contacts adjacent to and located in different positions with respect to said third-rail and forming parts of blockcircuits, a block-signal controlled by one of said block-circuits, automatic stopping means controlled by the other block-circuit, and a pair of traveling contact-n'iakers on the vehicle one spanning said third-rail and the first track-contact and the other coacting with said second track-contact.

12. In a system for controlling the movements of electrically-operated railway vehicles, the combination with a third-rail, of a pair of traclecontacts adjacent to and located in diilerent positions with respect to said third-rail and forming parts of block-circuits in which dissimilar track-contacts of diilerent block-circuits are connected, a block-signal controlled by one of said block-' circuits, automatic stopping means controlled by the other block-circuit, and a pair of traveling contact-makers on the vehicle one spanning said third-rail and the first track-contact and the other coacting with said second track-contact.

13. In a system for controlling the movements of electrically-operated railway vehicles, the combination with a third-rail, of danger and cautionary signals, a track-contact adjacent to the third-rail and connected in block-circuits controlling danger and cantionary signals of different blocks, a second track-contact adjacent to said third-rail but occupying a different position and connected in circuit with the cautionary block-circuit of its own block, automatic stopping means controlled by said secondtrack-contact, and a pair of traveling contact-1nakers on the vehicle one spanning said third-rail and the first track-contact and the other connected with said second track-contact.

.14. In a system for controlling the movements of railway vehicles, the combination with a block-signal circuit, of a controlling circuit governed by said block-signal circuit and controlling a block in the rear of that controlled by said block-signal circuit, and automatic stopping means carried by the vehicle and governed by said controlling circuit.

15. In a system for controlling-the movements ofrailway vehicles, the combination withblock-signal circuits having danger and cautionary signals. in which the circuit of "'5eacl1- danger signal controls the circuit of a succeeding-cautionary signal, of automatic stopping means located upon the vehicle and- --governed by the circuit of the cautionary signal.

Inents of electricallyoperated railway vehicles, the combination with a power circuit, of

a controlling-circuiton the vehicle said circuit'containing a manual controlling switch 1 5 and being governed by the power circuit, and

an automatic-controlling device also 0n the vehicle and governed by the controllingcir- 1 cu-it.

'17. Ina system for controlling the move- 20 mentsof electrically-operated railway vehicles,the combination with the power circu t,

' of a controlling circuit on the vehicle said circuit containing a manual controlling trolling device also -on-the vehicle and gov- (awed by the controlling circuit.

18. In a system for controlling the movements of electrically-operated railway vehicles, the combination with the power circuit, of a controlling and lighting circuit on the veln'cle said circuit' containing a manual controlling switch and one or more lamps and receiving current from the power circuit, and

an-automatic controlling device also on the vehicle and governed by the controlling circuit. v v

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this 15th day of December A. D. 1903.

' CHARLES E: ROEHL. Witnesses (ELIAS E. R1125, WM. GOLDBERG.

switch and anin'dicatorand being governed by the power circuit, and an automatic con- 

